The Pragmatic MBA for Scientific and Technical Executives

The Pragmatic MBA for Scientific and Technical Executives

Released October 2012
Publisher(s): Academic Press
ISBN: 9780123984890

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Book description

This primer enables professionals with technical expertise to collaborate with their business-side colleagues.  Emphasizing brevity and clarity, it gives technical staff answers to their most pressing questions about economics, finance, marketing, strategic decision-making, accounting, management, and related subjects.  It does not offer condensed 1st year MBA courses; instead, it presents streamlined concepts and insights that are easy enough to be accessible and challenging enough to hold one's interest.  Its examples from pharma, IT, aircraft/navigation, and other industries highlight problems that technical professionals face daily. Written by "one of them," its credibility makes it more useful than Internet resources. Because it concentrates on pragmatic (as opposed to academic) approaches to business, it empowers technical staff to stay with the conversation--and take it to a higher level.

Bertrand C. Liang, MD, PhD, MBA, is Managing Director of LCC Ventures and Executive Director of Pfenex, Inc.  He is trained in molecular biology and genetics (PhD) and is a clinician (MD) with subspecialty training in neurology and oncology, and serves as a Visiting University Professor at Liaoning He University, Shenyang, China.



  • Creates frameworks and builds concepts enabling technical staff to work with their business colleagues
  • Delivers content for pragmatic, immediate use, not condensed presentations of subjects from first year MBA curriculum
  • Extends readers' grasp by posting additional resources at a freely-available website 

Table of contents

  1. Cover image
  2. Title page
  3. Table of Contents
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Preface
  7. Foreword
  8. Chapter 1. Marketing
    1. Introduction
    2. Market Segmentation
    3. The Marketing Mix
    4. General References and Websites Related to Marketing
  9. Chapter 2. Economics
    1. Introduction
    2. Markets
    3. Gross Domestic Product
    4. Inflation
    5. Exchange Rates
    6. Innovation and Economics
    7. General References and Websites in Economics
  10. Chapter 3. Corporate Strategy
    1. Introduction
    2. Business Portfolio Model
    3. Five Forces Model
    4. Resource-Based View of the Firm
    5. Delta Model
    6. General References and Websites in Strategy
  11. Chapter 4. Management and Leadership
    1. Introduction
    2. Team Structure
    3. Team Construction
    4. Leadership Dynamics
    5. Motivation
    6. Change Management
    7. General References and Websites on Leadership and Management
  12. Chapter 5. Portfolio Management
    1. Introduction
    2. Common Traits
    3. Considerations in Portfolio Management
    4. Models for Portfolio Management
    5. General References in Portfolio Management
  13. Chapter 6. Finance and Accounting
    1. Introduction
    2. Financial Statements
    3. Ratios
    4. Discounted Cash Flow
    5. General References and Websites in Finance
  14. Chapter 7. Product Development
    1. Introduction
    2. Product Life Cycle
    3. Disruption (Disruptive Innovation)
    4. Adoption and Diffusion
    5. Discontinuities in the Product Life Cycle
    6. Dominant Design
    7. General References and Websites in Product Development
  15. Chapter 8. Operations
    1. Introduction
    2. Total Quality Management
    3. Variability
    4. Continuous Improvement
    5. Supply Chain Coordination: Information Sharing
    6. General References and Websites on Operations
  16. Chapter 9. Business Law
    1. Introduction
    2. Contracts
    3. Torts
    4. Intellectual Property
    5. Employment Law
    6. General References and Websites with Articles on the Law
  17. Web Based Supporting Resources
    1. Educational Videos
    2. Podcasts
  18. Index

Product information

  • Title: The Pragmatic MBA for Scientific and Technical Executives
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: October 2012
  • Publisher(s): Academic Press
  • ISBN: 9780123984890